Child resistant packages comprising a plastic closure and a plastic container are well known in the art as shown for example in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,805,987; 3,877,595; 3,891,110; 3,894,647; 3,974,929; 4,002,259; 4,036,385 and 4,103,797.
Among the objectives of the present invention are to provide a child resistant package which utilizes a closure having deformable tabs and which are adapted to engage anti-rotation projection on the closure; which minimizes the number of parts used; wherein the closure and container can be made by well known processes; and wherein the package is relatively economical to make while maintaining the desired child resistant construction.
In accordance with the invention, a child resistant package including a plastic container having a finish with an external thread and a plastic closure having a base wall and an internal thread thereon for engaging the thread on the container. The container includes diametrically opposed integral tabs extending from the container. Each tab has substantially uniform thickness such that it is capable of flexing relative to said container. The skirt of the closure has a free edge with diametrically opposed projections thereon engageable by the radial tabs. The tabs are manually deflectable to disengage from said projections on the skirt to permit manual rotation of the closure to unthread said closure from the container. In one form, the tabs comprise a first portion extending radially outwardly and a second portion extending axially downwardly and the projections comprise axially extending projections on the inner surface of the skirt of the closure with notches on the skirt through which a finger of a user can be provided to deflect the area of juncture of the radial and axial portions of each tab from its respective projection. In another form, the tabs extend radially from the finish of the container and engage projections defined by notches in the peripheral skirt of the closure.